Ten years ago, the movement was dismissed as temporary unrest. Today, it has developed executive leadership, an army evolving toward professionalism, and decentralized administrative governance.
By Timothy Engonene
Guest Editor-in-Chief, Independentistnews
BUEA February 13, 2026 – Ten years ago, the Southern Cameroons rose in protest. Teachers and lawyers demanded justice, respect for law, and the restoration of their political identity. What began as civic resistance has since evolved into a full-scale struggle for statehood.
A decade later, the conversation is no longer about survival. It is about sovereignty. The era of improvisation is ending. The struggle has entered its professional phase.
The End of the Interim Era
The most decisive transformation of this anniversary is the burial of permanent “interim” politics. A people cannot remain governed indefinitely by provisional structures, diaspora rivalries, or leaders speaking from detention cells. Liberation movements that succeed eventually transform into functioning states.
That transition is now visible. The Federal Republic of Ambazonia is no longer framed as a temporary construct but as the permanent political expression of a people determined to govern themselves. Under President Samuel Ikome Sako, the movement has shifted from crisis management in exile to structured governance on the ground.
The question is no longer how to bridge toward freedom. The bridge has been crossed. The task now is administration, discipline, and state-building.
The ASA: From Militias to National Force
Perhaps the most visible transformation lies within the armed resistance. What critics once dismissed as scattered militias has evolved toward a more disciplined national force under the Ambazonian State Army (ASA).
The difference is not merely military—it is psychological. A national army must protect civilians, enforce order, and project discipline.
The widely circulated footage from Fako County illustrates this shift. During lockdown enforcement, an ASA soldier stopped a civilian vehicle—not with intimidation, but with restraint and explanation. The soldier treated civilians as citizens, not subjects.
This is the essence of professionalization: Enforcement with discipline rather than fear. A recognizable chain of command. A force conscious that it represents a people, not just a battlefield. A liberation army matures when it begins to act like the army of a state in formation.
Governance Beyond the Battlefield
War alone does not create a country. Governance does. The backbone of Ambazonian statehood lies in the functioning of its 13 counties—Boyo, Bui, Donga-Mantung, Fako, Kupe-Muanenguba, Lebialem, Manyu, Meme, Menchum, Mezam, Momo, Ndian, and Ngoketunjia. These local administrations manage economic coordination, humanitarian logistics, and civic organization despite immense pressure.
The existence of organized governance structures under conflict conditions sends a clear message: Ambazonia is not simply a territory in rebellion; it is a nation learning to govern itself under fire.
From Protest to Statehood
Ten years ago, the movement was dismissed as temporary unrest. Today, it has developed executive leadership, an army evolving toward professionalism, and decentralized administrative governance.
Critics will contest this reality. Opponents will deny it. But political history is rarely written by permission—it is written by persistence.
The debate has shifted. The world may still hesitate, but the facts on the ground are changing. The struggle is no longer defined solely by resistance; it is increasingly defined by institution-building.
The Next Decade
The coming years will test whether Ambazonia can convert resistance into durable governance, unity, and economic survival. Victory is not merely declared—it must be administered.
But one truth is already evident: the movement that began as a cry for justice has matured into a political project seeking permanence.
The next question is not whether Ambazonia exists in the minds of its people. It is how long the international community can ignore a reality taking shape before its eyes. The struggle has entered its professional era. The work of statehood has begun.
Timothy Engonene
Guest Editor-in-Chief, Independentistnnews
